Best Cheap Fountain Pen

[Jake.Coventry]

Hello all,

 

I have a friend who I have introduced to the fountain pen, he wants one but doesn't want to spend too much...

I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations. The only criteria is that it is relatively smooth for the price.

 

Thanks

[risingsun]

_{Pilot Metropolitan. Great bang for the buck.}

_{http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Metropolitan-Writing-Fountain-91107/dp/B009X9Z2FW}

[GabrielleDuVent]

Platinum Preppy. Very affordable, and writes almost as well as my Lamy.

[DRWWE]

You didn't mention what you mean by cheap. A Lamy Safari is cheap in price but is very well made and writes well. That would be my recommendation. A medium nib would be smoother than a fine one. Lamy also makes the Nexx, which is less expensive than the Safari but uses the same nibs.

[purplepen]

For an inexpensive, wet, medium GREAT writer, the Pelicano can't be beat. Goulet's has it. I have five of them! Don't know why people never mention these pens . Never skips - always ready to write !

[dspeers58]

Lamy is good, in that you can then begin to replace nibs, try out different ones. Not too expensive and good quality. I also agree about the Pilot. Also the Pilot 78g

Edited June 3, 2013 by dspeers58

[usk15]

I have a Baoer 79 and and Jinhao 500 , 5 quid each from EBay, really cheap and both good writers. both came with converter and you can use standard cartridges.

[maus930]

I agree with the posts re: the METROPOLITAN it is hard to beat and inexpensive -- If a large pen is not a problem the JINHAO 159 is a really great smooth writing pen -- available thru a number of outlets

[Mactechbri]

New guy checking in here. Pilot Metropolitan is a great, inexpensive pen.

[TLab3000]

Jinhao 159, if it's not too big.

 

I've ordered a Baoer 79 and it should arrive this week. However, after my first two Baoers I thought I'd rather not risk buying another one. But then I did and I got two good Baoers. Then I got a fifth one which was good at first but the nib was a bit more damageable than I thought (or like the almost 100 other nibs I own). I got another one today but haven't tested it yet.

Anyway, if you really, really like the Baoers, get one. Just don't push the nib to hard if it's one of these: http://justwrite.com.au/justwrite8/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=547 (I have nothing to do with justwrite, but I don't want to steal their photo, hence the link).

The same applies to the Yiren/Bookworm nibs that look pretty much the same.

 

Anyway, get a Jinhao 159. There are many videos about this pen, including an embarrassing one I did: http://youtu.be/XwsH300n78U. Those pens are reliable, I've never seen one that made problems.

The Jinhao X450 and X750 are nice, too, but sometimes have ink flow problems because of a too wide howdoyacallit... tines separator slit? If you don't want to or know how to repair this, don't buy one. The same applies to the beautiful Jinhao 600 series.

Let me stress this again: I've never had or have seen these problems with the Jinhao 159.

 

If your friend prefers small pens with fine nibs and is okay with the design - get a Poky Z 150. I got a very good one and bought another one just to confirm that they are good and that I wasn't just incredibly lucky. The second one is every bit as good as the first one.

 

-1 on every Lamy using their standard Safari/Al-Star/Vista/etc nib. I've bought... I always forget how may... about 15 this year? Almost all of them needed nib alignment and/or smoothing.

About the Preppy - I agree, it almost writes as well as the Safari

Nah, kidding. The Preppys write okay, I just find their nibs very boring. They're neither very smooth nor do they offer line variation.

 

If your friend wants something between a Jnhao 159 and a Poky Z 150 - any Kaigelu will do.

 

Did I already mention the Jinhao 159...?

Edited June 3, 2013 by TLab3000

[rochester21]

Pilot 78G medium nib. 10 dollars shipped.

Edited June 3, 2013 by rochester21

[pajaro]

The Pilot and Lamy are decent choices. If you try early on with junkpens, you will conclude fountain pens are junk.

 

Something of quality and yet inexpensive is what you are after. If someone had given me any of the Chinese pens in 1958, I would yet be using ballpoints and would never have reconsidered.

[TLab3000]

Something of quality and yet inexpensive is what you are after. If someone had given me any of the Chinese pens in 1958, I would yet be using ballpoints and would never have reconsidered.

I suppose Chinese fountain pens have come a long way in those 55 years. Maybe you should give them another try, you will be surprised.

[Pentulant]

The Pilot and Lamy are decent choices. If you try early on with junkpens, you will conclude fountain pens are junk.

 

Something of quality and yet inexpensive is what you are after. If someone had given me any of the Chinese pens in 1958, I would yet be using ballpoints and would never have reconsidered.

 

 

Totally agree with this sentiment.

 

Suggest the Metropolitan or Safari (though some people don't like the grip).

 

Even though many people like them for a variety of reasons, I would avoid the Pilot Varsity as a first fountain pen unless it's just the feel of a FP that you're after rather than the experience of choosing an ink, filling a pen, etc.

[doggonecarl]

Pilot Vpen or Varsity. Less than four bucks. Holds a ton of ink. Amazingly smooth nib. If your friend gets to the end of the ink he'll be hooked. Then he can move up the fountain pen food chain.

Edited June 3, 2013 by doggonecarl

[olivier78860]

Waterman Kultur demonstrator, 10€ here, ultra smooth nib (it's a Waterman), and easily converted to an eye-dropper.

I can't think of anything better.

[VAgal]

For an inexpensive, wet, medium GREAT writer, the Pelicano can't be beat. Goulet's has it. I have five of them! Don't know why people never mention these pens . Never skips - always ready to write !

I have never understood why they don't get more love either. My hubby and I have a couple of Pelikano pens. They have been dependable writers.

[basterma]

Any German Student pen. Pelikano, Heröitz Tornado, Schneider Base. Faber Castell and Online also make student pens, but I don't know the models. Centropen, a Czech company makes the Pluto which is not bad as well as a model that uses the same nib as the Pelikan P10 had in the 80's.

[GabrielleDuVent]

 

 

Even though many people like them for a variety of reasons, I would avoid the Pilot Varsity as a first fountain pen unless it's just the feel of a FP that you're after rather than the experience of choosing an ink, filling a pen, etc.

 

Varsity is a good pen, just disposable. It was the only FP that didn't explode in my pen case on flight (I completely forgot I had them in my pen case and didn't empty the reservoirs out).

 

Quite a lot of people press down on the nibs when they first start using FPs, thereby ruining the pen completely. Varsities and Preppy's are cheap enough to be able to ruin the nib and not feel remorse. For me, anything about three dollars and I'd be feeling bitter about having to throw the pen away.

[pokermon]

Like many others I think the cheapest you can go is either Pilot 78g or Petit1, and the Platinum preppy.